William Minot (1783-1873) Papers 1829-1944 Guide to the Collection

Table of Contents Collection Summary Biographical Sketch Collection Description Related Materials Acquisition Information Organization Detailed Description of the Collection Preferred Citation Access Terms

Collection Summary

Biographical Sketch

William Minot was born in 1783 to George Richards and Mary Speakman. He graduated from Harvard in 1802 and studied law in Boston with Joseph Hall. He was admitted to the Suffolk Bar in 1805. Specializing in the areas of trusts, wills, and estates, he practiced in Boston at his father’s 39 Court Street office. The city of Boston trust funds and the Harvard Class of 1802 were among the trusts in his care. In 1810 he married Louisa Davis, daughter of Daniel Davis, solicitor-general of the Commonwealth. They lived on Beacon Street and had five children. During the summer months, he and his family resided at Woodbourne, a country house in West Roxbury. In the later years of his life William grew lonely mourning the lost companionship of Louisa who died in 1858. Although visited often by his daughter Julia, he became more socially withdrawn until his death in 1873.

Collection Description

The William Minot papers date from 1799-1891 and contain personal and business correspondence, accounts, receipts, estate papers, genealogical material, deeds, letterbooks, ledgers, account books, law notebooks, and daybooks. The collection is broken into 5 series: personal papers, business papers, Louisa Davis Minot’s poetry book, letters to Dr. John Randall, and genealogical information. The personal papers consist of household expenses, diaries, and correspondence written to him from his family and friends discussing news and daily events. There are numerous letters of solace sent to Minot after the death of his wife, Louisa. The business papers consist of letter books, account books, law notebooks, and daybooks containing account information for estates and trust funds managed by Minot. Louisa Davis Minot’s poetry book contains passages and poems from 1808-34, recorded in 1833 and thereafter. Also includes a small collection of letters written to Dr. John Randall by his classmates of the Harvard class of 1802. The letters were sent to Minot after Randall’s death.

Related Materials

William Minot, Jr. Papers, 1824-1894. Ms. N-2244.2.

William Minot III Papers, 1829-1944. Ms. N-2244.3

Henry Davis Minot Papers, 1825-1891. Ms. N-2244.4. Finding aid available at: http://www.masshist.org/findingaids/doc.cfm?fa=fa0286

Laurence Minot Papers, 1871-1914. Ms. N-2244.5

Charles Sedgwick Minot Papers, 1868-1914. Ms. N-2244.6

Robert Sedgwick Minot Papers, 1868-1883. Ms. N-2244.7

Alice Woodbourne Minot Papers, 1860-1883. Ms. N-2244.8

Minot Family Papers, 1865-1933. Ms. N-2244.9

Minot Family Business and Financial Records, 1810-1939. Ms. N-1976 (XT volumes only) and Offsite Storage

Acquisition Information

Gift of the Minot family 1953

Organization of the Collection

The collection is organized into the following series:

Detailed Description of the Collection

Preferred Citation

William Minot papers, Massachusetts Historical Society.

Access Terms

This collection is indexed under the following headings in ABIGAIL, the online catalog of the Massachusetts Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related persons, organizations, or subjects should search the catalog using these headings.